The weekly messenger., 1887-09-17
insly doing all that cen could do, and

ingly doing all that roen could do, and
our position was truly uncomfortable.
The climax came about in the oldest
sort of a way. On one of the fashion
able thoroughfares lived an old maid
that is, she was one of a family, being,
if l remember right, the mans sister
She was pretty well off, and always had
several hundred dollars in bureau
drawer in her room. She had read
about the work of the gang, and was IN
q state of terror for fear the house would
be visited. One day brilliant idea oc-
Cured to her. She would capture one
of the mob. She planned it that one
of them would climb up to her corner
window by means of the conductor, and
enter without disturbing her, as she
was sound sleeper, and go for the
money. What did she do but 60 ont
and buy q steel trap-something big
enough to hold fox. She got one of
the servants to set it for her, and the
open trap was placed in the top bureau
drawer, and the chain led out through
the back side and made fast.
Two nights passed without another
depreciation. we WeIc kccpiHS ouSh
sharp lookout that the fellows had to be
more fly. On the third night, at ex-
actly quarter of twelve, the old maid
was aroused from her deep sleep by
human yell of pain, and she was no
sooner on end than she saw that she had
caught her man. He was down on his
knees in front Of the bureau, and both
hands were fast in the trap. His first
veil was his only one. When he found
the woman was awake he calmly OBJ
served:
excuse me, but I think I'm in the
wrong room. Please don't make any
disturbance about it.
"Who are Won =
"a friend of Wills, and We both
came home little sprung. Won't you
please help me to get my hands loose Z"
There was Will about the house
the mans own son--Dut he had not been
/ ont that evening, nor WAS he in the
habit of drinking. Without getting
ont of bed the woman touched an elec-
tric button, and within ten minutes the
/ house was aroused, and two policemen
| had the man in charge. The jaws of
the trap had caught him about the
wrists, and he had suffered a good deal
of pain. He was the Judge Wilcox
chap, Burnsides, JUNCTION, and ALL
When taken to the station his whiskers
were found to be glued on. and he also
had false wig. When these were re-
moved he stood forth rs pert and trim q
thief as YOU would wish to overhaul.
He turned out to be New Orleans man
named Davis, and was only 26 years
/ old.
The capture of Davis partner followed
/ swiftly, and also in a curious way. AS
train was about ready to leave for the
north, spruce young fellow came into
the baggage department at the depot to
get his trunk checked. II was there all
right, hut he got into iangle with the
expressman about the charge for bring
ing it down, and the depot officer finally
arrested both. On the way to the sta
ton the young fellow tried to bribe the
officer, and that settled him. We went
for the trunk, and when it was opened
every dollars worth of property which
had been stolen was found therein. IL
there was n third man in the party,
which some of us believed, he saved his
bacon and got out some other way. IL
the baggage OF the second man, whom
we never lien sitied, were three different
wigs and whiskcrs to match. Both hal
been in disguise when abroad, and il
was little wonder that We could not spot
the right men. Both are still in prison,
or have not been mt liberty over year.